About us

We have one clear purpose – to invest in medical research designed to benefit the Defence community.

By the very nature of the work the ADF performs, serving and ex-serving members and their families face emotional and physical pressures not representative of the wider population. This pressure can adversely affect their health and wellbeing. Our vision for the Foundation is to alleviate this burden through enhanced understanding and treatment of the adverse conditions that impact Defence members and Defence families.

Recipients of our grants typically conduct research into the causes, treatment and prevention of human diseases. This includes physical or mental ailments, disorders, defects, wounds and morbid conditions. The ailments might occur suddenly or develop over time. They could be caused by a genetic predisposition, or by environmental factors.

Without doubt, breakthrough medical research will also have applications in the population at large. But the main criterion for the research we fund is to benefit the men, women and families of the Australian Defence Force.